Trump Cabinet Draws Controversy

At the end of the 2016 presidential election Donald Trump won and it is now his responsibility to be prepared for office by selecting nominees to his cabinet. Each person selected for the majority of the cabinet positions will be reviewed by Congress and have their record picked apart. Though, this election has been one of controversy, some of Trump’s nominees are especially controversial.

Rex Tillerson, former ExxonMobil CEO is the nominee for the Secretary of State position in the cabinet. Tillerson is one of the more controversial picks that the president-elect named for a job in the State Department. He brings a wide range of knowledge as a former executive of ExxonMobil, dealing with many foreign leaders which could benefit the United States. One controversy, however was his award from a big deal with the Russians that he had especially since Russia was caught hacking during the election. Many are concerned that he has too close of ties with Russia and that he will put the corporate interests first instead of the United States. If he conducts and negotiates treaties and agreements on the part of our country, will surely be a fascinating source of debate for politically interested individuals.

General “Mad Dog” Mattis has been named the Secretary of Defense in the incoming administration. He brings 44 years of experience to the Pentagon having served in all major conflicts since the Vietnam War. His experience will be valuable for what is needed to eliminate the waste in the Pentagon and in the Defense industry because he knows what the nation’s soldiers require to be effective. The main issue is that he needed a waiver from Congress to serve since he has served in the military recently. This rule has been in place since 1947 to ensure that generals do not take over the civilian Department of Defense. Congress has since granted him the waiver making him the first Defense Secretary with recent service since George Marshall received the waiver in 1950. Mattis’ intelligence from his career in the army could perhaps bring a needed revamp of the Pentagon.

Betsy DeVos, philanthropist and education advocate, was named as President-Elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education. She has been a prominent person in the Republican Party advocating for school choice, voucher programs, pro-business laws, and Christian values. “I do support high standards, strong accountability, and local control,” stated DeVos. She supports school choice, expanding the privatization of the public school system. This has been a source of controversy, as many on the Left believe this will destroy the American public school system. DeVos wants to allow parents to choose which school their children can go to whether it’s private or public. Many conservatives also have strife with Ms. DeVos as she has heavy ties to the political establishment and supports the Common Core standards. One of the core tenets of Donald Trump’s campaign was “draining the swamp” or removing the political establishment (both left and right) from the capital, yet has appointed Betsy DeVos to this pivotal position. She has been linked to many groups supporting Common Core, including Foundation for Excellence in Education, but has gone on record saying she disagreed with the standards and wants to replace the program once Trump takes office.

Ben Carson, talented neurosurgeon and author, has been named as Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. This was surprising as many believed that Dr. Carson would be picked for Secretary of Health and Human Services, as he has an extensive background in the medical field. “I grew up in the inner city and have spent a lot of time there, and have dealt with a lot of patients from that area and recognize that we cannot have a strong nation if we have weak inner cities” stated Carson. Ben Carson grew up in southern Detroit and was raised by a single mother, having an extremely difficult childhood. Fortunately, Ben Carson, with the help of his mother, worked his way out of the inner cities and graduated from Yale University.